# 1944 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1944 to Wales and its people.

## Incumbents

* Archbishop of Wales
** Charles Green, Bishop of Bangor (died 7 May)
** David Prosser, Bishop of St David's (elected)
* Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Crwys

## Events

* 22 January - Wynford Vaughan-Thomas reports for the BBC from the Battle of Anzio.
* 23 January - An RAF Halifax bomber crashes in the Elan Valley, killing nine crew.
* 28 March - Cardiff Blitz: Nine people are killed in an air raid on Cardiff.
* 11 April - An RAF Lancaster bomber crashes near Llanwrtyd Wells, killing eight crew.
* 16 August - Lt. Tasker Watkins leads a bayonet charge at Barfour in Normandy, winning the Victoria Cross for his courage.
* 17 October - The first "Welsh Day" debate takes place in the House of Commons (UK).
* 11 November - A US Dakota C-47 with four crew crashes into cliffs above Llyn Dulyn.
* 10 December - American Liberty ship Dan Beard is torpedoed off Strumble Head, resulting in the deaths of 29 crew.
* 20 December - An American B-24 Liberator plane crashes into the sea off Anglesey, killing eight crew.
* Plaid Cymru transfers its head office from Caernarfon to Cardiff.
* Morgan Phillips becomes Secretary of the Labour Party (UK), a position he will hold until 1961.
* Sir Thomas Williams Phillips becomes permanent secretary of the new government ministry created to implement the national insurance system.
* Sir David Brunt is awarded the royal medal of the Royal Society for his work in meteorology.
* Politician Goronwy Owen and naval architect Llewellyn Soulsby are knighted.

## Arts and literature

* 2 October - Dylan Thomas is best man at the wedding of his friend and fellow poet Vernon Watkins in London - but fails to turn up.
* BBC commentator Alun Williams marries Perrie Hopkin Morris, daughter of Sir Rhys Hopkin Morris.

### Awards

* National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Llandybie)
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - D. Lloyd Jenkins
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - J. M. Edwards
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - withheld

### English language

* Rhys Davies – Black Venus
* Fred Hando - The Pleasant Land of Gwent
* Jack Jones - The Man David
* Alun Lewis - The Last Inspection
* Sir Percy Emerson Watkins - A Welshman Remembers
* Sir Ifor Williams - Lectures on early Welsh Poetry

### Welsh language

* Thomas Rowland Hughes - William Jones
* Edward Morgan Humphreys - Ceulan y Llyn Du
* T. H. Parry-Williams - O'r Pedwar Gwynt

### New drama

* James Kitchener Davies - Meini Gwagedd
* Emlyn Williams - The Druid's Rest

### Music

* Harry Parr Davies - Jenny Jones (musical)
* Grace Williams - Sea Sketches

### Film

* The Halfway House, starring Mervyn Johns, Glynis Johns and Rachel Thomas, is set in Wales.

### Broadcasting

* August - Wynford Vaughan-Thomas reports on the liberation of Paris for BBC radio.
* Launch of the Noson Lawen series on BBC radio.

### Visual arts

* Polish-born expressionist painter Josef Herman begins 11 years living and working in Ystradgynlais.

## Sport

* Boxing - Syd Worgan beats Tommy Davies for the vacant Welsh featherweight title.
* Football - The first post-war match between Wales and England ends in a 1 - 0 victory for Wales.

## Births

* 21 January – Peter Rodrigues, footballer
* 17 February – Karl Jenkins, composer
* 1 March – Dai Morgan Evans, English-born archaeologist (died 2017)
* 6 March – Billy Raybould, Wales international rugby player
* 12 March – Tammy Jones, singer
* 24 March
** Mary Balogh, novelist
** Steve Jones, biologist
* 31 March – Myfanwy Talog, actress (died 1995)
* 4 April – Ronnie Rees, footballer
* 8 April – Hywel Bennett, actor (died 2017)
* 15 April – Dave Edmunds, musician
* 16 April – Llew Smith, politician (died 2021)
* 5 May
** Roger Rees, actor (died 2015 in the United States)
** John Rhys-Davies, actor
* 20 May – Kathrin Thomas, magistrate
* 3 June – Dilwyn John, footballer
* 11 June – Alan Howarth, Baron Howarth of Newport, politician
* 16 June – Brian Protheroe, English-born singer and actor of Welsh parentage
* 7 July – Glenys Kinnock, English-born politician (died 2023)
* 7 July – Angharad Rees, actress (died 2012)
* 31 July
** Endaf Emlyn, TV presenter, musician and director
** Betty Williams, politician
* 3 September – John Cooper, serial killer
* 9 October – Desmond Barrit, actor
* 21 October – Mandy Rice-Davies, socialite (died 2014)
* 6 November – Gerallt Lloyd Owen, poet (died 2014)
* 14 November – Eurfyl ap Gwilym, economist and politician
* 29 November – Gareth Wardell, politician
* 18 December – (Roger) Deke Leonard, rock musician (died 2017)
* 24 December – Meirion Pennar, translator and son of Pennar Davies (died 2010)

## Deaths

* 8 January - John Newell Evans, Welsh-born farmer and politician in Canada, 97
* 11 January - Richard Powell, Wales international rugby player, 79
* 5 March - Alun Lewis, poet, 28 (accidentally shot)
* 20 March - William Retlaw Williams, lawyer and historian, 80 or 81
* 31 March - Talfryn Evans, cricketer, 29
* 7 May - Charles Green, Bishop of Monmouth, Bishop of Bangor and Archbishop of Wales, 79
* 17 May - John Lloyd Morgan, lawyer and MP, 83
* 24 May - Sir Herbert Williams-Wynn, 7th Baronet, politician, 83
* 27 May - Griffith Hartwell Jones, academic, 85
* June - Dai Davies, footballer, 63/64
* 16 June - David Davies, 1st Baron Davies, philanthropist and MP, 64
* 25 June - James Atkin, Baron Atkin, judge, 76
* 5 August - Maurice Turnbull, cricketer, 38 (killed in action)
* 5 August - Ethel Lina White, crime novelist, 68
* 20 September - Oliver Morris, rugby player and footballer, 27 (killed in action)
* 21 September - Bob Jones, rugby union player, 69
* 25 September - David Davies, 2nd Baron Davies, 29 (killed in battle)
* 30 September- David Harris Davies, Wales international rugby union player, 66
* 5 October - Laura Evans-Williams, singer, 61
* 27 October - Clem Lewis, rugby player, 54
* 19 November - Watkin Williams, Bishop of Bangor, 99
* 8 December - Sir William Jenkins, MP for Neath, 73